COMING UP:Saturday: At San Diego, 5:40 p.m., Diamondbacks LHP Pat Corbin (3-0, 1.91) vs. Padres LHP Clayton Richard (0-3, 7.94).Sunday: At San Diego, 1:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Ian Kennedy (1-2, 4.78) vs. Padres RHP Edinson Volquez (2-3, 6.39).Monday: At Los Angeles, 7:10 p.m., Diamondbacks RHP Trevor Cahill (1-3, 2.61) vs. Dodgers RHP Josh Beckett (0-4, 5.24).Notable: Miley was bizarrely wild in his most recent start. He walked four in the first inning and seven in 4 1/3 innings against the Rockies. He didn’t walk more than three in a game all last season. … Miley didn’t actually give up a run in the game, which the Diamondbacks went on to win 3-2. … He has a 6.08 ERA in four starts against the Padres, who scored nine runs in 12 2/3 innings against him last season … Marquis briefly pitched for the Diamondbacks in 2011, joining the team in a July trade deadline deal but lasting only three starts before suffering a fractured right fibula. … In five starts with the Padres, he has posted three quality starts. Most recently, he allowed two runs in 6 2/3 innings against the Giants on Sunday. … He faced the Diamondbacks once last season, giving up four runs in 6 1/3 innings.

If one month isn’t enough time to judge whether the Diamondbacks will be contenders this season, then one month probably isn’t long enough to make any clear-cut assessment of their new television broadcast team.

Play-by-play man Steve Berthiaume and color analyst Bob Brenly freely admit they are still feeling their way around the TV booth, never having worked together — or having met — until after they were hired in October.

But one month in, it’s fair to suggest they at least have developed some fun and intelligent on-air synergy that seems to translate well to most Diamondbacks fans.

“That’s all him,” Berthiaume said, pointing to his new broadcast buddy. “I’m the newbie; he’s the pro. I’m just literally up here trying to stay out of his way. I’m trying to make it informative and then just shut the hell up so he can talk.”

Brenly spent the past eight years as a broadcaster for the Chicago Cubs. He was the Diamondbacks’ TV analyst during the club’s first three seasons before being named manager in 2001 and guiding the franchise to its World Series championship that year.

“Obviously, I’ve had more experience in the booth,” he said, “but with Steve’s experience on television and knowing how the whole thing works, it certainly wasn’t the kind of breaking-in period that you would normally expect.”

Though he is relatively new to calling play-by-play, Berthiaume spent 12 years with ESPN as a “Baseball Tonight” host and a “SportsCenter” anchor.

Like the men they replaced, Daron Sutton and Mark Grace, Berthiaume and Brenly have shown they aren’t afraid to have a little fun. But the only thing even remotely clownish about these two is the Wade Miley bobblehead garden gnome that Berthiaume has perched next to his TV monitor.

“I think what’s helped us enormously,” Berthiaume said, “is how the team has been playing. Every game seems to be a one-run game. There’s been a bunch of extra-inning games. And that’s really helped the narrative.”

Ever the analyst, Brenly couldn’t wait to jump in and add his own commentary.

“Yeah, it’s been my experience that when the team plays well, the broadcasters are really good,” he said. “When the team plays poorly, we stink.”

How are they doing?

Generally, the fans’ reaction to Berthiaume and Brenly has mostly been positive. The ratings on Fox Sports Arizona have been good, too. Diamondbacks games are averaging a 3.9 rating, meaning an average of 70,301 Phoenix-area households are tuning in to watch.

On Saturday, the Diamondbacks’ game against the Rockies was the No. 1-rated television program in the Valley.

“People have been mostly complimentary, which is nice. But it’s a very subjective thing,” Berthiaume said. “It’s not like a baseball stat where the numbers are what the numbers are and facts are stubborn things, as John Adams said.

“This is much more subjective. One person may think, ‘Well, you’re really enthusiastic. We love that.’ Another person goes, ‘Well, you’re way too enthusiastic.’ So you get a little bit of that. But for the most part, people have been really receptive and certainly we appreciate their patience as we feel our way through the first part of the season.”

Passing chemistry test

There have been some great on-air exchanges between the two, from Brenly explaining what it means to “put a batter in a rocking chair” and his describing the utter impatience of Giants slugger Pablo Sandoval.

“Patrick Corbin could pick up the rosin bag and he’s liable to swing at it,” Brenly quipped during a recent telecast.

It doesn’t hurt to have some baseball intuition, either. That was the case during this exchange between Berthiaume and Brenly during Monday’s game against the Giantsat Chase Field.

Berthiaume: “Bottom fourth. No outs. One on. D-Backs trailing 3-0.”

Brenly: “Be patient. Get something you want to hit.”

Berthiaume: “Jason Kubel walked his first time up.”

Brenly: “I like this matchup a lot right here. Hang a slider and it’s 3-2 just like that.”

Brenly: “In fairness, we’ve tried that about a dozen times this year. That’s the first time it’s worked.”

Berthiaume: “He shoots, he scores. Nice job, partner.”

In addition to his broadcast duties, Berthiaume is hosting his own show on FSAZ called “Cup of Coffee with Steve Berthiaume.” The program makes it premiere at 4 p.m. on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Berthiaume’s wife, Cindy Brunson, has joined the FSAZ family as a pre- and postgame host for Sunday home-game Diamondbacks telecasts. She spent 13 years with ESPN as a “SportsCenter” anchor and studio host.

“It’s a tremendous thrill for us to go to the ballpark and be able to work together,” Berthiaume said. “That wasn’t always the case where we were before. ... We can’t believe our blessing and we’re very fortunate to be here.”

From the crowd

Diamondbacks fans speak to azcentral sports’ Megan Stewart about the job being done by the TV announcing team team of Steve Berthiaume and Bob Brenly.

“Growing up, I've always watched the D-Backs. I was really happy when Bob Brenly got the job. We won the World Series with Bob Brenly so I'm very happy to have him back. Last year, I was a little upset because it seemed like every time I watched Daron Sutton it seemed like he was bashing the fans, or bashing the team, and he just didn't seem happy. I'm very glad Bob Brenly is here. And Steve Berthiaume, I like him, too. I watched him on ‘Baseball Tonight.’ I think he's very knowledgeable and knows what he's talking about. I'm very happy for this.”

—William Thornton, 31,Phoenix

“I'm not a Mark Grace fan. I think Steve Berthiaume is great. I think he's an awesome sportscaster. Bob Brenly is doing well, too. I loved him as a manager more than an announcer. But, I definitely trust what they're saying. They make the game so much more interesting.”

— Dale Vanderwerf, mid-50s,Peoria

“I feel like Berthiaume hasn't been around baseball as much as the other two. So I feel like his call isn't quite as good as Sutton’s and Grace’s were. I really like Bob Brenly up in the booth. I feel like he does a good job analyzing the game and giving an in-depth analysis of what the common fan wouldn't be able to see.”

— Bill Shores, 20, Page

“It’s different. I kind of miss Gracie and Sutton. It's taking some time to get used to them (Berthiaume and Brenly). I'm not going to stop watching though because they're not there.”

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